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Google, Disney join growing list of employers mandating COVID-19 vaccines

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As coronavirus cases in the U.S. begin a concerning climb upward and virus variants threaten a return to normalcy, a handful of businesses have announced COVID-19 vaccination mandates as they prepare to welcome workers back to the office.

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission said employers can legally require COVID-19 vaccinations to re-enter a physical workplace, as long as they follow requirements to find alternative arrangements for employees unable to get vaccinated for medical reasons or because they have religious objections.

Still, the requirements have proven a hot button issue as business leaders mull over office reopening plans, in some cases sparking legal challenges and immense pushback from workers who refuse the shot. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a mandate to require all federal employees to be vaccinated is now “under consideration.”

Here is a roundup of some of the major U.S. employers that have announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Google
Tech giant Google announced a vaccine requirement Wednesday for those returning to its offices. The company has some 135,301 employees, according to SEC filings.

In a memo sent to employees, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai also announced that the company’s “voluntary” work-from-home policy had been extended through Oct. 18 after it was initially set to expire on Sept. 1. In addition, Pichai wrote that “anyone coming to work on our campuses will need to be vaccinated.”

“We’re rolling this policy out in the U.S. in the coming weeks and will expand to other regions in the coming months,” the chief executive said. “The implementation will vary according to local conditions and regulations, and will not apply until vaccines are widely available in your area.”

He said local leads will share further guidance with employees, including “details on an exceptions process for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical or other protected reasons.”

Pichai added that he hopes these steps “will give everyone greater peace of mind as offices reopen.”

Facebook
Hours after Google’s announcement, Facebook said Wednesday it will require anyone working at its U.S. campuses to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Implementation of the new policy will hinge on “local conditions and regulations,” Facebook Vice President of People Lori Goler said in a statement to ABC News. There will be a “process” for those who will be exempt from the mandate, such as for medical reasons, Goler said.

ABC News has requested further details on the testing protocols and action for failure to adhere to the requirement.

“We continue to work with experts to ensure our return to office plans prioritize everyone’s health and safety,” said Goler, who noted that Facebook will be evaluating its approach outside the U.S. “as the situation evolves.”

Facebook is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, and has offices in over 80 cities worldwide.

Washington Post
Some staff members at the Washington Post on Tuesday shared on Twitter that the company announced it was mandating vaccines.

In a memo sent to employees and shared with ABC News by the Washington Post, publisher and CEO Frederick J. Ryan, Jr. announced the mandate and said employees must also “demonstrate proof of full COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment.”

The Post, which employs more than a thousand journalists and is aiming for a mid-September reopening, said accommodations will be provided to people with “genuine medical and religious concerns” and that they will need to document them with the human resources team.

“Even though the overwhelming majority of Post employees have already provided proof of vaccination, I do not take this decision lightly,” Ryan said in the memo. “However, in considering the serious health issues and genuine safety concerns of so many Post employees, I believe the plan is the right one.”

St. Jude’s, Houston Methodist and more hospitals
The health care sector, perhaps unsurprisingly, has been one of the industries with the most vaccination requirements.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that all patient-facing health care workers in state-run hospitals are required to get vaccinated. “That is a point of contact, that could be a serious spreading event, we want to make sure those workers are vaccinated period,” Cuomo said Wednesday.

At St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, staff were informed earlier this month that they had a Sept. 9 deadline to get vaccinated. “By September 10, employees who have refused vaccination or do not have an approved medical or religious exemption will be put on an unpaid administrative leave for two weeks,” wrote Dr. James R. Downing, president and CEO of the Memphis hospital. “Those who fail to start the vaccination process will be terminated at the end of the two-week period.”

The Houston Methodist hospital system in Texas, which oversees eight hospitals and has more than 26,000 employees, set a June 7 deadline for staffers to get the vaccine or risk suspension and termination. More than 175 staffers at the Houston Methodist hospital were temporarily suspended without pay last month after not complying with a mandate, and a lawsuit was filed against the hospital. A Texas judge sided with the hospital, tossing out the lawsuit filed by 117 employees who were against getting the shot.

Delta Airlines
Delta Airlines came out ahead of the curve on vaccine mandates. The airliner said in May that it would require all new hires in the U.S. to be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they qualify for an accommodation.

The Atlanta-headquartered company with some 91,000 full-time workers has said it will not be putting in place a company-wide mandate to require current employees to be vaccinated, though the new hires vaccine requirement kicked in on May 17.

Disney
The Walt Disney Company announced Friday that all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. must be fully vaccinated.

Employees working in-person who aren’t already vaccinated have 60 days to do so as of July 30 while most employees working from home must provide proof of vaccination before returning, said Paul Richardson, Disney’s senior executive vice president and chief human resources officer.

Richardson said the company is also developing vaccination protocols for employees outside the U.S.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.

COVID-19 vaccination proof will be required for Broadway patrons, workers

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Anyone hoping to catch a Broadway show as the Great White Way reopens this fall will need proof of vaccination along with their ticket.

The Broadway League announced Friday that theater owners and operators of all 41 New York City theaters will require all theater attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for all performances through October 2021. Additionally, this also applies to all performers, backstage crew and theater staff.

Masks will also be required for audience members while inside the theater “except while eating or drinking in designated locations.”

Theatergoers will need to be fully vaccinated with an Food and Drug Administration or World Health Organization-approved vaccine and must show proof of vaccination at their time of entry with a valid ticket. For those who took Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the performance they attend must fall at least 14 days after their second dose. For those who opt for Johnson & Johnson, the show they attend must be 14 days after their single dose.

The Broadway League also said that ticket holders for performances through Oct. 31 will be notified of the new rules and be kept abreast of an anticipated review of the policies in September. The organization said the future review “may include a relaxation of certain provisions if the science dictates.”

Charlotte St. Martin, the president of the Broadway League, said “a uniform policy across all New York City Broadway theatres makes it simple for our audiences and should give even more confidence to our guests about how seriously Broadway is taking audience safety.”

Exceptions will be made for children under 12 and those with medical conditions or religious reasons for not getting vaccinated. These individuals must instead provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of a show’s start time or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken within 6 hours of the start time.

This news comes amid rising concerns over the delta variant of COVID-19.

Listen to new PVRIS track “Monster” ahead of summer tour kickoff

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

PVRIS have officially started their new era, releasing their first new music since last year’s album Use Me.

The new song, “Monster,” arrives ahead of their new headlining tour, which is set to kick off August 6 with openers Royal & the Serpent.

“‘Monster’ is a song about reckoning with outside opinions and expectations put upon oneself,” says frontwoman Lynn Gunn. “It can be easy to take on the weight of negative situations/opinions, this is about the struggle of releasing those inhibitions and internalizations and returning back to yourself.”

Earlier this month, PVRIS, which now consists of Gunn and Brian MacDonald, announced that they’d be “debuting three new songs on tour to give you an advanced preview of what’s to come,” adding, “It’s about to get crazy.” Presumably, “Monster” is one of those songs.

Check out new music from Jacquees, Nao, Ant Clemons, Tink & Masego

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Multi-platinum singer Jacquees is back to serve up his new single, “Not Jus Anybody,” featuring Future. The smooth collaboration finds Jacquees letting women know he’s not like any other guy.

“Yeah, you know that I’m about it / Don’t even gotta talk about it / You know I’m not just anybody / So don’t even try to play it shy with me,” he sings.

After linking up with Oscar and Grammy-winning producer D Mile on “Messy Love,” U.K. singer Nao has returned with the title track to her forthcoming album, And Then Life Was Beautiful, out September 24th.

Ant Clemons tapped 2 Chainz and Ty Dolla $ign for his humble new song, “Appreciation.” The track features a catchy melody and chorus, in which Clemons and Ty Dolla expound upon their appreciation for women.

“Baby, I’m a black rockstar sensation / I like what you’re doin’, baby, give me motivation, woah / Shorty make it clap, yeah, standing ovation / I’m spendin’ my money woah, just to show appreciation,” they sing.

Meanwhile, Chicago rapper and singer Tink dropped off her new album, Heat of the Moment, featuring Kodak Black, Jeremih and Yung Bleu, and an exceptional track with Nigerian superstar Davido. The follow-up to her 2020 EP, Hopeless Romantic, features Tink’s Yung Bleu-assisted single, “Selfish.”

And lastly, self-proclaimed “trap house jazz” artist Masego shared the music video for “Mystery Lady (Sego’s Remix).” The visual has Masego wandering through the streets and alleys in Mexico City, Mexico. The original version, featuring Don Toliver, can be heard on Masego’s acclaimed 2020 EP, Studying Abroad.

Source says Kelly Clarkson’s spousal support payments to ex-husband are “temporary”

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Earlier this week it was revealed that Kelly Clarkson has been ordered to shell out nearly $200,000 a month to ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. But a new report from People claims that agreement is only temporary.

A source tells the mag that the court order — which has Kelly paying $150,000 per month in spousal support and $45,601 per month in child support for their two children — “is strictly temporary support until a final settlement is worked out.”

The order, handed down by a Los Angeles judge on Tuesday, also has the singer paying $1.25 million toward Blackstock’s attorney fees.

Kelly and Brandon married in 2013 and share seven-year-old daughter River Rose and five-year-old son Remington Alexander. Their split was made public in June 2020.

Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley hit the blacktop for their cinematic “Freedom Was a Highway” video

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley bring the breezy, windswept vibes of their “Freedom Was a Highway” duet to life in a new music video.

In the clip, Jimmie starts off solo, going for a summer joyride in a classic red convertible. Somewhere along the two-lane blacktop, in the middle of the woods, the singer pulls over to investigate something sparkly on the side of road: It’s a golden guitar that seems to have magical powers.

One strum on the guitar and Jimmie conjures up a full backing band, which immediately kick into gear as he begins to perform “Freedom Was a Highway.” But that’s not all: Soon, Brad enters the picture, sitting on the back of a pickup truck and singing along. Soon, the pair of artists’ middle-of-nowhere jam session turns into a packed concert, with golden confetti falling from the sky.

A live performance of “Freedom is a Highway” from Jimmie and Brad will likely become a reality for fans with tickets to see Brad’s tour this summer: Jimmie is currently an opening act on the bill.

The two artists’ duet is currently a top-twenty hit at country radio.

Mom speaks out about giving birth to 9 babies

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(CASABLANCA, Morocco) — “I feel very happy to carry my child,” 26 year-old Halima Cissé told ABC News, while holding newborn Muhammad, one of the nine babies to beat the world record for most babies born at one birth.

Cissé, already a mother to a little girl, gave birth to nine children on May 5. “All the children are doing well,” said Dr. El Alaoui, head of the clinic.

The four boys, named Muhammad, Bah, El Hadj and Oumar and five girls — Adama, Hawa, Fatouma, Oumou and Kadidia, are being taken care of at the clinic Ain Borja in Casablanca, Morocco.

Cissé, a 26 year-old student and Abdelkader Arby, a 35 year-old adjudant in the Malian army, say they have always wanted children. ” Everybody wants children … but if they had told me that I, Abdelkader Arby, would one day be the father of nine, I would not have believed it,” he told ABC News.

The parents say the extraordinary birth is a “gift from God,” and said the “responsibility is heavy,”

After a consultation with an OB-GYN revealed that Cissé, was carrying seven fetuses, authorities organized her transfer from Bamako, Mali, to the clinic Ain Borja in Morocco where she would received specialized care.

The clinic prepared for the unusual birth of seven , before discovering during the operation two others.

“A lot of things were going through my mind, fear for myself, fear for my kids, how it was going to unfold,” Cissé told ABC News.

El Alaoui, head of the clinic Ain Borja, told ABC News that they tried to postpone the birth as long as they could to keep the babies’ chances high.

Cissé, who nearly lost her life due to blood loss and had to be operated on after the delivery, spent a month at the clinic on her back before the birth. She describes the difficult nights when she couldn’t sleep on the side until the day of birth, at 30 weeks pregnant.

“We thought, if we manage to save four, five children it’s already not bad,” said El Alaoui.

The birth of nine children is an extremely rare phenomenon. Only two others were recorded so far, in Australia in 1971 and in Malaysia in 1999. But Cissé’s is the the first example of nonuplets born alive.

Soumia Arkoubi, head nurse at the clinic, said “they take care of [the nonuplets] like it’s our own children” and that “it will be hard to see them go.”

With diapers changed every three hours at the clinic, the nine bundles of joy go through nearly 75 diapers a day and 100 bottles of milk.

American Nadya Suleman, nicknamed “Octomom,” holds the current Guiness world record after giving birth to eight children following an IVF treatment.

However, according to the parents and the medical staff at Ain Borja, Cissé’s children were conceived naturally.

The children were all born prematurely, the smallest weighing only one pound at birth.

They will have to stay in the neonatal care at the clinic for at least another month before they can hope to meet their big sister in Mali.

How Allyson Felix could make history at the Tokyo Olympics

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(TOKYO) — One medal and Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix could make history. Two, and she’ll smash another record.

The 35-year-old U.S. track star has won nine medals across four Olympics — the most out of any female athlete in U.S. track and field history.

If she picks up her 10th in Tokyo, she would have more than any female Olympic track and field athlete ever, besting the record currently held by Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey.

If she wins two medals at the games, Felix would have the most medals out of anyone in U.S. Olympic track and field history, surpassing legend Carl Lewis’ record of 10.

The Los Angeles resident is competing in the 400-meter after finishing second at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track and field last month with a season-best time of 50.02 seconds.

She also is a member of the relay pool and could run on the 4-x-400 meter relay and 4-x-400 meter mixed relay.

The mixed relay is first up on the schedule. The U.S. team will compete in Saturday’s final, after placing first in their preliminary heat on Friday. The team, which didn’t include Felix for that race, was initially disqualified over an exchange zone foul but later reinstated.

The opening round of the 400-meter is on Aug. 3, with the semifinals on Aug. 4 and the final on Aug. 6.

The first round of the women’s 400 relay is on Aug. 5, with the final on Aug. 7.

The legendary athlete is one of the most decorated in her sport. She has won six golds and three silvers in sprinting events at the games, starting with silver in the 200-meter in her Olympic debut as a teenager at the 2004 Athens Games.

In 2019, just 10 months after giving birth to her daughter, Felix broke the record for most gold medals of any athlete at the track and field world championship, when she clinched her 12th and 13th world titles.

The mom has been a prominent voice against gender inequality in sports. Writing in The New York Times in 2019, Felix detailed her lack of maternity protections with her then-sponsor Nike after giving birth to her daughter, Camryn. Following the publication of the opinion piece, Nike announced a new maternity policy for all sponsored athletes.

She recently launched a lifestyle brand, Saysh, that she says was inspired by her experience with “gender injustice” during her journey to motherhood.

She also has teamed up with apparel company Athleta and the Women’s Sports Foundation to launch The Power of She Fund: Child Care Grants, which help cover child care costs for professional mom-athletes traveling to competitions.

Bob Odenkirk thanks fans for support; ‘Better Call Saul’ star says he’s recovering from “a small heart attack”

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A short time after his friend and former comedy partner David Cross tweeted that the Better Call Saul actor was “doing great,” Bob Odenkirk himself took to Twitter to confirm he’s on the mend.

“Hi. It’s Bob. Thank you,” he began. “To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week. And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me. It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much.”

Odenkirk continued, “I had a small heart attack. But I’m going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery.”

The Nobody actor added, “Also, AMC and SONYs support and help throughout this has been next-level. I’m going to take a beat to recover but I’ll be back soon.”

Odenkirk collapsed on the Albuquerque set of Better Call Saul on Tuesday, and was rushed to the hospital.

News of the incident led to an outpouring of support on social media, so it’s not surprising his two new tweets immediately went viral.

Hi. It’s Bob.
Thank you.
To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week.
And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me. It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much.

— Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) July 30, 2021

I had a small heart attack. But I’m going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery.
Also, AMC and SONYs support and help throughout this has been next-level. I’m going to take a beat to recover but I’ll be back soon.

— Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) July 30, 2021

Slipknot posts official statement and video tribute to Joey Jordison: “Without him there would be no us”

July 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Following the death of their former drummer Joey Jordison, who passed away Monday at age 46, Slipknot tweeted a simple black square. But on Friday, they posted a full statement, along with a video paying tribute to their founding member, who left the band in 2013.

On their socials, the band writes, “Our hearts go out to Joey’s family and loved ones at this time of tremendous loss. Joey Jordison’s art, talent, and spirit could not be contained or be held back.”

“Joey’s impact on Slipknot, on our lives, and on the music that he loved, is incalculable,” the statement continues. “Without him there would be no us. We mourn his loss with the entire Slipknot family. We love you, Joey.“

The eight-and-a-half minute tribute video, meanwhile, features footage of Jordison rocking out onstage, practicing, doing interviews, posing for photo shoots and more. At one point, he seen saying of his Slipknot band mates, “I love my eight brothers,” and declaring that Iowa, the masked metallers’ now-classic second album, “is the heaviest and best metal record of all time. Done.”

The video closes with a photo montage of Jordison, both alone and with the band, soundtracked to Slipknot’s song “Circle.”

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